Gardai in Dublin were yesterday working on the theory that a gang which forced a young woman to hand over the contents of a hotel safe while they kept her friend hostage had a good knowledge of the hotel. The two women were at the home of one of them in the Huntstown area of Mulhuddart in Dublin around 2 a.m. yesterday when three masked men armed with handguns broke in.
They found one woman sleeping on a sofa and ordered her to wake her friend, who is the manager of the Judge Darly's Hotel in Parkgate Street in the north inner city.
The men then told the hotel manager to drive to the hotel and empty the safe. They took her mobile phone and kept in touch with her, telling her where to go with the contents.
They told her that if she did not co-operate they would harm her friend, whom they had taken to a field near The Ward, in north County Dublin and tied to an ESB pylon.
It is understood that a small amount of cash was removed from the safe and taken to the Phoenix Park, where it was handed over to one of the gang. The man then ran off, without saying where the other woman was to be found.
However, the woman who was tied up managed to free herself and contacted the Garda.
According to the Garda Press Office, both women suffered considerable shock. "We are investigating the theory that whoever did this had a very good knowledge of the workings of the hotel and the personnel involved," said a Garda spokesman.
The investigation is being carried out by Chief Supt John McLoughlin of Blanchardstown. He has asked anyone with information to contact the Gardai at Blanchardstown - 01 8219345.
